Invalid elevator and truck.



No. 795,524. PATENTED JULY 25, 1905. R. LBPPMANN.

INVALID ELEVATOR AND TRUCK. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTBD JULY'25, 1905.

R. LBFFMANN. INVALID ELEVATOR AND TRUCK.

AYPLICATION FILED NOV.11, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

III

I72 vexed-07:

ANDREW a mum. m lnnrounmm we mama c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

INVALID ELEVATOR AND TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

iratented July 25, 19

Application filed November 11, 1904. Serial No. 232,369.

To ILZZ whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD LEFFMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Invalid Elevators andTrucks, of which the following is a specification.

After a surgical operation has been performed it is desirable to movethe patient from the operating-table to a bed with the least possibledisturbance of his position; and it is the object of this invention toproduce a device for accomplishing this purpose. Such a device is alsouseful in transferring a patient from one bed to another or in removinghim from a bed while the bed is being made.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of aninvalid elevator and truck embodying the features of this invention.Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the raising and lowering means. Fig. 3is a hori- Zontal section on dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional view through the carrier. Fig. 5 is a transversesection through one of the body-piates and its supporting side arm.

In the construction of an elevator and truck embodying this invention Ihave provided a supportingstandard 1, which in this instance is oftubing bent to form a base portion 2 and an upright portion 3. To theforward end of the base portion is fixed an axle 4, and upon the outerends of the axle are mounted carrying-wheels 5. The rear end of the baseportion is provided with a bracket 6, secured to the standard 1 in anysuitable manner, as by means of clips 7, held in position by bolts 8passing through suitable openings in said bracket. In the bracket 6 isrotatably mounted a caster-wheel 9, upon which caster and thecarrying-wheels 5 the weight of the truck and its load is supported. Toprevent the truck from tilting sidewise to any considerable degree, thebracket 6 is provided with two rigid downwardly-turned feet 10, whichterminate a little distance above the floor. At its upper end thestandard 1 is bent forward in a plane with the base portion 2 and at itsforward extremity is provided with an upwardlyextending yoke 11, thelower portion of-which is in cap form and is adapted to be brazed uponor otherwise secured to the tubing forming said standard.

A lifting-arm 12, formed from tubing, has fixed thereto at a pointbetween its ends a supporting-bracket 13, by means of which said arm ispivotally mounted within the yoke 11. At its opposite ends thelifting-arm is provided with cap-pieces 14 and 15, between which andover an upward projection from the bracket 13 a truss-rod 16 extends.Tension is placed upon the truss-rod 16 by means of nuts 17, turned uponits opposite ends. Between ears 18 upon the cap-piece 14 is piv otallysuspended a supporting-link 19, and between ears 20 upon the cap 15 arack-bar 21 is pivotally mounted. The link 19 pivotally supports acarrier 22, comprising a yoke 23, having hooks 24 at its opposite ends.Arms 25, made in pairs of a single piece and in yoke form, are supportedwithin the hooks 24 of the yoke 23, the lower ends of said arms beingbent to form rectangular eyes 26, within which the tubular side rods 27of the carrier are supported. Set-screws 28, passing through suitableopenings in said eyes and bearing upon said rods, hold the arms inposition upon said rods. Body-plates 29 are slidably mounted upon theside rods 27 by means of box-loops 30, formed integral with said plates.The carrier 22 is made extensible by providing extension-rods 31 and 32,which telescope with the tubular side rods 27. The head-end rods 31support head-plates 33, and the foot-end rods 32 carry foot-plates 34,said head-plates and foot-plates, like the bodyplates 29, havingbox-loops 35, adapted to surround the extension-rods 31 and 32. The rods31 and 32 may be fixed in position relatively to the side rods 27 bymeans of setscrews 36. The two sides of the carrier 22 are releasablyconnected by means of chains 37 secured to one each of theextension-rods 31 and 32 and arranged to have a snap-hook connectionwith a link 38, secured to the opposite extension-rod.

The lifting-arm 12 is tilted to raise and lower the carrier 22 by meansof a crank 39, which crank is secured upon the end of a wormshaft 40,rotatably mounted in a casing 41. A worm 42 is fixed upon the shaft 40and is adapted to mesh with a worm-wheel 43, said worm-wheel beingrigidly secured to a shaft 44, extending transversely of and rotatablysupported within the casing 41. In the casing 41 is formed a verticalguideway 45 for receiving the rack-bar 21, said bar being held inposition within the casing, so as to engage the teeth of a pinion 46,fixed upon the shaft 44. The casing 41 is pivotally supported upon abracket 17, secured upon the rear side of the upright portion 3 of thestmporting-standard 1. Handles 48, projecting from the bracket 17,afford means for propelling the truck from one place to another.

in order to keep the carrier22 from swinging laterally, it may beconnected with the upright portion 3 of the tr uck-f rame by means of ahook 49, adapted to engage an eye 50 on said carrier and having at itsother end an eye 51, slidably mounted upon a guide-rod 52, fixed to theupright 3.

In use the elevator and truck are moved to the table or bed upon whichthe patient lies. To bring the carrier 22 into position to receive thepatient, the base 2 of the truck is pushed under the bed and the carrierswung around to a position parallel with and above the patient, the hooka9 having first been disengaged from the eye 50. The sides of thecarrier are then separated by disconnecting the chains 37 fromv thelinks 38, and the carrier lowered to the level of the patient by turningthe crank By loosening the setscrews 36 the extension-rods 31 and 32 maybe moved to adjust the length of the carrier to correspond with theheight of the patient. The supporting-plates 29, 33, and 34 are thengently pushed beneath the patient, said plates being slid longitudinallyof the rods 27, 31, and 32, if necessary, to provide a comfortablesupport for the patient. The arms 25 may be moved longitudinally of theside rods 27 in order to balance the weight of the load upon the yoke 23by first loosening the setscrews 28. The sides of the carrier havingbeen connected by means of the chains 37 the patient may now be liftedfrom the bed or table by turning the crank 39, thus rotating the pinion&6 and moving the rack 21 downwardly. This downward movement of the racktilts the lifting-arm 12, raising the forward end thereof and tiltingthe carrier 22. The truck is then moved away from the bed, and if thepatient is to be taken into another room the carrier 22 is turned intoline with the truck and secured in this position by means of the hookLE). Upon arriving at its destination the carrier is lowered upon thebed and the sides of the carrier disconnected and withdrawn from beneaththe patient.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction andarrangement of the parts herein shown and described, as suchconstruction and arrangement may be varied or modilied without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention.

1 claim as my invention 1. In an invalid truck and elevator, incombination, a truck comprising a rigid upright standard; an armpivotally supported by said standard at a point between the ends of saidarm; a carrier suspended from one end of said arm; a rack-bar connectedwith the opposite end of said arm; a pinion rotatably supported inbearings pivotally mounted on said standard and adapted to mesh withsaid rack-bar for moving said bar; and means for rotating said pinion.

2. An invalid-carrier comprisingtwo separable sides, each of which sidesis longitudinally extensible.

An in valid-carrier comprising two separable sides, each of said sidescomprising adj ustable supporting-plates.

4(- An invalid-carrier comprising two side rods and extension head endand foot end rods telescoping with said side rods.

5. An invalid-carrier comprising two separable sides, each of said sidescomprising a side rod and supporting-plates slidably mounted on said.side rod.

6. An invalid-carrier comprising separable sides, each of said sidescomprising an extensible side rod and supporting-plates adjustablymounted on said side rod.

7. An invalid-carrier comprising two separable sides, each of said sidescomprising extensible side rods of square cross-section, andsupporting-plates having box-loops slidably mounted on said rods.

8. An invalid-carrier provided with a supporting-yoke for each side ofsaid carrier, the arms of which yokes are adjustably connected with saidcarrier, said yokearms being adjustable longitudinally of said carrier,a yoke releasably engaging said arms for supporting them, and means forpivotally suspending said last-mentioned yoke.

9. In an invalid-truck, in combination, a truck-frame comprising a baseportion and an upright standard; supporting-wheels rotatably mounted atone end of said base portion; a pivotal bearing at the other end of saidbase portion; a supporting-wheel rotatably mounted in said pivotalbearing; feet fixed with relation to said base portion near saidlast-mentioned wheel and extending to a point a little above the floor;and a carrier supported by said upright standard.

RICHARD LEFFMANN.

Witnesses:

L. L. MILLER, Gnoneu L. CHINDAHL.

